The State of Games, Episode 17 – The One About Girls

Girls. They’re everywhere, you know. Or at least outside the game shop, it seems. Still, there are a few females – those glorious few – who put up with agape jaws and stammering starers to grace the gaming tables with the boys. This episode is dedicated to those lovely ladies who not only ignore us fellow’s warlike tendencies, but embrace it. Here’s to you, oh women of gaming – may we continue to not scare you away.

Comments

Thanks for the podcast, guys. Those were good suggestions for luring in new gamers (of either gender, really). Another tip I have found to work is to compare ‘new’ games to something you know the person likely has experience with; Carcassonne and Dominoes, for example.

I’ve been on the fence about “Defenders of the Realm.” One note that I jotted down last time I looked into it was that it seemed too similar to “Pandemic.” Strangely, no sooner did I start to type this comment here when you started talking about “Pandemic” right on the heels of “DotR.” So, is it just another co-op game, or does it have its own unique appeal?

Paul – Pandemic and DotR share a lot of the same mechanics, but DotR is a bit more “loose.” I know that term is, in itself, a bit loose, but what I mean by that is that Pandemic feels like a much tighter, more raw experience simply because it is a lean coop machine. Most of the time players can be in and out of Pandemic with it having smashed their hopes and dreams in 30 minutes or so. Defenders is much more about the experience and less about the puzzle, which means that it runs a lot longer than Pandemic but feels a bit more immersive. If you’re more into the taut experience of Pandemic, Defenders may fall short for you. But if you really like the idea of delving into high fantasy and creating a bit of a story, then you’ll love Defenders.

Whether 2017 was great or terrible for you, there’s no denying that there were a ton of new game releases last year – more than any year on record, in fact. Add those to the already hugemongous collection of quality game titles from the past few years and gamers had a cornucopia of gaming goodness [...]

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